Weddell Seal

Weddell Seal

Mammalia

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:

Weddell seal

KINGDOM:

Animalia

PHYLUM:

Chordata

CLASS:

Mammalia

ORDER:

Pinnipedia

FAMILY:

Phocidae

GENUS SPECIES:

Leptonychotes weddellii

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:

The Weddell seal is a large seal with a bulky body, a relatively small head, and a short, wide snout. The adults are dark gray to brown with dark and light patches on the ventral side and silvery white dorsally. The front flippers are small relative to body size. Pups are born with light gray or occasionally golden fur.

SIZE:

May reach lengths of 2.9 m (9.5 ft.)

FEMALE

Females grow slightly larger than males

WEIGHT:

Weigh up to 400-600 kg (881-1323 lb.)

DIET:

Feeds mainly on fishes; diet also includes cephalopods and crustaceans (including krill)

GESTATION:

10.25 months (with 1.6 months delayed implantation)

ESTRAL PERIOD

Typically during late lactation

NURSING DURATION

45-50 days (wean)

SEXUAL MATURITY:

MALE

3-6 years

FEMALE

2-6 years

LIFE SPAN:

Up to 30 years

RANGE:

Live in and around the Antarctic; has the southernmost distribution of any pinniped

HABITAT:

Land fast ice

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

No data

STATUS:

IUCN

Lower Risk/least concern

CITES

Not listed

USFWS

Not listed

FUN FACTS

1.

Weddell seals belong to the scientific order Pinnipedia, which includes seals, sea lions, and walruses.

2.

Seals differ from sea lions in a number of ways, including having no visible earflaps.

3.

Antarctic seals tend to have longer, more pointed foreflippers than northern phocids.

4.

Weddell seals are named for Captain James Weddell, an explorer in the 1820's whose book described and illustrated Weddell seals.

5.

Weddell seals often dive to depths of 300-400 m (984-1312 ft.), and may dive to depths of 600 m (1968 ft.).

6.

Most dives average 15 minutes long, but a 73 minute dive has been recorded.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Antarctic seals, including the crabeater, leopard, Weddell, Ross, southern elephant, and Antarctic fur seals, are protected by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bonner, N. Seals and Sea Lions of the World. New York. Facts on File, Inc. 2004.